Chapter 19

Darryl Nelson

I relish in the burn of the coke Hunter had given me in my nostrils as I sniff back a huge bump. I’d almost wanted to close the small gap between mine and Steve’s lips, but the dark monster on my back wanted to torture me more.

But it didn’t stop the pain I saw in her eyes from making my chest tighten. I clamp a cigarette between my lips, and inhale deeply, slumping back against the bench and raking my fingers through my hair.

What the fuck was she doing here anyway? I can’t believe my dad sent the fucking hall monitor after me.

No doubt she had scurried home to tell my dad how much of a fuck up I was. Today had been hell. Seeing my mom half-conscious in that hospital bed, wires and beeping monitors all around her.

Seeing the look of panic in my dad’s eyes. Trying to keep my swirling tempest of emotions under check so at least one person could support Vinnie. Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is my mom lying there, pale and small on the bright white sheets.

Fuck this. I need some alcohol. I stumble back through the dark to the people who were still getting fucked up, freezing as I take in the sight of Hunter with his arm around Stevie, pouring vodka into her open mouth. Her giggles float over to me, and my feet start walking again.

I slap Hunter’s hand from where it was snaking down to her ass. “Get your fucking greasy hands off my girl, Hunter,” I growl. He has the fucking balls to laugh at me, pulling Stevie closer to his side. “Nah. I’m alright, Nelson. You snooze, you lose, brother.”

Stevie snorts with laughter, swaying a little even though he was supporting her, and in the moonlight, I can clearly see the glazed look in her eyes. She’s hammered. “Stevie, I think it’s time we go home, yeah?”

I reach out a hand towards her, and she shakes her head, laughing. Hunter smirks, pushing the lank strands of hair back out of his face. “Looks like you’re shit out of luck there, buddy boy. The lady wants to stay where the fun is tonight.”

Stevie laughs again before hiccupping. Hunter just manages to step back before she upchucks all over the floor. “Jesus! Man…you can keep her, dude.” Hunter holds his hands up, walking around Stevie who was still heaving, bent double, bracing herself on her knees.

I grab a bottle of water from my bag and walk back over to her. She spits, grimacing, and mutters a thank you when I hold out the water to her. “Not so much fun coming back up, huh?” She shakes her head, rinsing her mouth out. “What are you even still doing here?”

“I wasn’t going to leave you here…you shouldn’t be alone after everything today,” she glances up at me as if she’s expecting me to explode at her.

“And I figured that I may as well see what the big attraction to hanging out here holds for you. Maybe I’ll start coming up here more, it’s been fun.”

She straightens up and nearly loses her balance again, laughing as she does. “You’re not to come back here. Ever. Got it?” I grab her arm, and she frowns, trying to pull out of my grasp.

“Ow! Darryl, you’re hurting me.” I loosen my grip, but don’t release her. “Stevie,” I lower my voice an octave, and take note of the way her eyes drop to my lips, and a wave of goosebumps ripple over her exposed skin. “We’re going home. Now.”

Luckily for me, Stevie was not so drunk that she needed carrying, but she was drunk enough to be compliant for once. The lights were all off at home, so I guess dad was staying at the hospital with mom.

Dragging my keys out of my pocket with a drunk giggling girl hanging off my arm was more difficult than I expected, but eventually I got us inside.

“Mmmm,” Stevie hums appreciatively, dropping down onto our sofa and spreading herself out. “I always loved the smell of your house. It always smells so…homely.”

I snort beside myself. “Homely?” She giggles, looking around at me with a shrug. I roll my eyes. “Okay, my little drunken idiot, I think we should put you to bed.”

She reaches out, making grabby hands, and with a roll of my eyes, I pull her up off the sofa, hiding my surprise when she jumps at me, wrapping her legs around my waist.

The increase of weight around my neck indicates when she passes out, and I link my hands under her ass to keep hold of her as I slowly make my way upstairs, trying to ignore the fact that my hands were dangerously close to the heat of her pussy.

I hesitate at the top of the stairs. I could put her to bed in my folks’ room, or even in Vinnie’s room, but a little part of me wants to repay all the times she’d looked after me, so I pad through to my room and lay her down on my bed.

With her hair around her like a red halo, her lips slightly parted as she sleeps, she looks like a crimson angel, sent to torture me. I grab my comforter and pull it up over her, shucking off my hoodie and kicking my feet out of my boots. The sound of my belt buckle makes Stevie stir, and her sea-colored eyes blink open.

She watches silently as I peel my jeans off and grab a spare blanket and pillow to make a bed on the floor for myself. She pulls back the cover, shuffling over a little to give me room. I lick my bottom lip, biting it as I study her.

“Please,” her voice is barely a whisper. I slide into bed next to her, and roll onto my side facing her, and she mirrors me. A strand of hair slips across her face, and I reach over and tuck it behind her ear, running my thumb down her cheek until it traces over her lower lip.

Her lips part, and her hot breath on my skin makes the base of my spine tingle. I slowly lick my lips, and her eyes follow the motion of my tongue. I scan between her eyes before closing the small distance and pressing my lips to hers.

A delicate moan escapes from her chest as her soft lips mold to mine. She tastes like bad decisions and heaven all at once. I move forward, rolling her onto her back and holding myself over the top of her while I deepen the kiss, sweeping my tongue against hers.

Her hands wrap themselves around my neck, toying with the back of my hair, and I groan, grinding myself against her. I can’t believe I finally have Stevie in my bed, on my lips, pressed up against my cock.

I drop my mouth to her neck, pulling her flawless skin between my teeth before licking away the pain with my tongue, making her writhe and pant beneath me.

Her fingers dip beneath the waistband of my boxer briefs, and I pull back. “Hey…wait, Stevie.”

Her brow puckers as she looks up at me in confusion. I swallow, trying to keep my resolve strong. “We shouldn’t do this…like this. If anything happens between us, I want both of us to remember it all.”

I watch as she tries to school her face to hide her embarrassment, and I run my thumb along her lips again. “If you can still stand me tomorrow, maybe we can pick things up again then?”

She flashes me a small smile, and when I roll off her, she turns onto her side, and I tuck myself up against her back, wrapping my arm around her and linking my fingers with hers.

I guess we’ll see what happens tomorrow. I hate to admit it, but the touch of her lips to mine had somehow made the ten-ton weight which was always pushing down on me, a little lighter. I only hope I don’t fuck things up again.